LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 



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UNITED STATES OP AMERICA. 



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Photographed from the Author' 
Pen and Jnk Sketch. 



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fAITtt'S BEFEf $£. 



I N FOU R PA RTS 



ZAVARR WILMSHURST. 



NEW YORK : 



^OPYRIG^-^ 



> 1879. ^ 



CRICHTON & COMPANY, PUBLISHERS, 
221, 223 4 225 Fulton Strhbt. 



1871 









*1 



«l?3 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1S79, 

BY ZAVAEE WILMSHUEST, 

in the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington . 



Crichton & Co., Printkbs, 221, 223 A 225 Fulton St., N. Y. 



THIS 

LITTLE BOOK 

IS 

INSCRIBED 

TO THE 

CHURCH OF CHRIST, 

WHEREVER FOUNDED, 

WITH 

PROFOUND LOVE AND REVERENCE 

BY 

THE AUTHOR. 



PART FIRST. 



SPRING. 



SPRING 



ORDINARY MIRACLES. 
I. . 

Earth every Spring is born again, 

And Eden rises from her tomb ; 
While Love melts Beauty's icy chain, 

And weds her in a world of bloom — 
Sun, flowers, stars, and cherubs shedding 
Their souls in rapture on that wedding. 

Away, cold reign of rigor ! 

Welcome youth, sport, and vigor ! 
The forest throbs with sighs and cooing, 

And twittering, warbling, fluttering rush 
The very air is given to wooing, 

And kisses every maiden's blush 
And dewy, glowing, ruby lips 
That her twin rows of pearls eclipse, 



8 RALPH AND ROSE ; 

Filling her life with health and soundness, 
Stealing beneath her white neck's muffling 
To soft, warm, throbbing marble roundness, 
And, at a saucy parting, 
Her head of sunny ringlets ruffling. 
At this all- joy ward starting, 
The gentle gladnesses revive, 

With freshest fragrance, hues and songs, 
And, in Spring's laughing sunshine, wive 
To fill the earth with fairy throngs. 

II. 

The greatest wonders are the nearest; 

The loveliest flowers everywhere ; 
The treasures we should hold the dearest 

Are cheapest to our thought and care : 
The grandest truth is most neglected ; 

Life's meanest prize -man's proudest boast ; 

Of all the joys by him neglected, 

Eternal bliss is spurned the most. 
# * * * 

Are these antitheses of gages 

Affecting contrasts and wise gloom, 

Or the experience of the ages, 

Whose truth will stand the crash of doom 8 



OR, FAITH'S DEFENSE. 9 

That common things are most astounding; 

Life's highest prizes those that woo, 
And greatest blessings most abounding, 

Are truths forever old and new, 
Which we should publish, chaunt and cherish, 

Lest in the memory they die, 
For countless human millions perish, 

Like blind men, with salvation nigh. 



III. 



Ha ! comes of ghastliness the form, 

Withered like blanched pine, lightning cleft, 

Or hoary wreck of sleety storm, 
Long outside of existence left. 

Behold the aspen trembler pass 

In age's totter o'er Time's glass, 

Gasping and shrinking from the blast 

As his next moment were his last! 

Why does he still the daylight haunt ? 

Because Death shuddering cries "Avaunt!" 

'Tis Winter, father of distress, 

The shrivelled slave of cold and barrenness. 



10 RALPH AND ROSE ; 

IV. 

What marvel follows glad and bright, 
And lovely as the birth of light ? 
The year turned young and heavenly fair, 
Like rosy child with golden hair, 
Nestling amid earth's blossomings 

Where only angel joys allure 
And only sweetness breathes and sings, 

Drinking delight as fresh and pure 
As from God's fount it gushes clear 
Ere mingled with a sigh or tear, — 
Spring treading on old Winter's heels 
With living green and love-song peals, 
And bounding in the pulse as high 
As hope that lifts the spirit to the sky. 

Y. 

Though Age grow young again to tell 

The thousandth time this miracle 

Which sereness with fresh blisses drowns 

From deep vales to bald mountain crowns, 

Whelming with wealth of sweet surprises — 

As joys' throng in the soul arises, 

Caught from death's shades which most appal 



OR, FAITH'S DEFENSE. 11 

To heaven's glorious festival — 

It will as dust to life compare 

With that grand miracle I next declare. 

VI. 

Gaze with thy spirit on the soul 

Who loves the darkness like the mole, 

And ever grubs in earth for pelf, 

And turns all heart and thought to self; 

Who thinks all goodness weak and vain, 

Unless it turn to sordid gain; — 

The highest wisdom deems to be 

His own successful trickery, 

And holds his life's and glory's prize 

Some shrewd old friend to victimize. 

VII 

Heaven of grace has boundless stores 
But none for him who self adores — 
To whose bleak being loving glow, 
Sweet Pity's thrill for want or woe — 
Bliss — pain — hope — fear — ne'er find access 
Save for his own dear littleness — 
Whose lust and greed and hate would urge 
To darker crimes did not the scourge 



12 RALPH AND ROSE; 

Of man and law his malice check 

To save his lucre or his neck : 

What can yon do with such a knave 

You scorn to crush, despair to save, — 

Humanity's monstrosity 

Masked in external decency, — 

A wintry soul, a heart of ice, 

Without one virtue or one generous vice ? 



VIII. 

But Grace, although the gentlest power 

Born of God's love to man, 
When he must face his darkest hour 

And fellest danger scan, 
Proves mightiest, even in the strife 
Which endless Death and endless Life- 
like tides that clash and loam and roll- 
Wage for possession of the soul. 
In holy league with Providence, 
That right arm of Ommpotence^ 
Grace watching sleepless in her part . 
To melt and win the human heart, 
Never omits the moment true 



Oil FAITH'S DEFENSE. 13 

The greatest sinner to subdue, 
To lead him contrite to her throne 
To trust in Mercy's God alone. 

IX. 

The wretch we drew is born again ! 

What else could cleanse so vile a clod, 
A nature change, so foul in grain, 

Into the likeness of his God ? 
Make one whom countless crimes defiled, 
Pure, meek and trustful as a child, — 
Drive the black legion from his breast, 
And render love divine its guest, — 
Take Winter from his soul away 
And fill it with the bloom of May, — 
Torn him from self-idolatry 
To deeds of bounteous charity, — 
Transform his spirit lost so long, 
Into an angel fair and strong, — 
And earth, that led to hell's abyss, 
Into the threshold of eternal bliss? 



14 RALPH AND ROSE; 

George's Adventure. 
X. 

With monotone and bagpipe drone 

Are bees the woodland flowers lulling, 
While George sings merrily alone, 

A busy rhier beauties culling. 
'Tis sweet to hear the infant lisping 

The soul of April, May and June, 
With voice as free as breezes crisping 

The brook whose song-sighs join in tune, 
Wrapping in murmurs his joy notes 
As leaves bright flowers in cool moss coats ; 
The words are all his sister Rose 's; 
The air just what his heart composes. 

The Song of Spring. 
1. 
"Spring is coming in its beauty, 

Buds are stealing forth to view ; 
Nature wakes to life and duty, 

Drenched with sunshine and with dew: 
Let us take the sweet example 

Of the hosts that bloom and sing: 
Heaven has ever freshness ample 

Souls that love to clothe with Spring. 



OR, FAIT1PS DEFENSE. 15 

2. 
" Mark yon little peering flower, 

Trembling in the Zephyr's arms ! 
How she pays back sim and shower 

With the richness of her charms ! 
Wondrous far her breathing reaches 

That our souls with fragrance feeds, 
And the while as sweetly preaches 

1 Make earth lovely with your deeds.' 



" Through the wood the wild bird trilling 

With but trees and rocks to hear, 
E'en to burst his heart is willing, 

If the waste his rapture cheer. 
Let us from his song deriving 

For the soul a guiding spark, 
Never cease from noble striving 

Though there be but God to mark." 

XL 

His arms and bosom flowing over 

With choice love-breathing, dewy tints, 

George marks his pathway through the clover 
And wild ways wilder fancy hints, 



16 RALPH AND ROSE ; 

With the sweet rainbow wealth he squanders, 
As from the beaten track he wanders, 
Whence he hath vowed not to be tempted 
Till Rose comes back with basket emptied 
For the relief of widow Bland, 
And homeward they can saunter hand in hand. 

XII. 

His surfeit has the urchin taken, 

And now he seeks the path forsaken : 

Chill is the clutch of his dismay 

To learn that he has lost his way. 

His wanton joys are drowned in fears 

And April smiles in April tears: 

Troubled his face as rosebud blenching 

From its first thunder shower's drenching : 

He runs and calls and further strays 

As echo with his fancy plays, 

And leads him through shagg'd darksome 

[walks, 
As those through which Death homeward 

[stalks, 
All ending in a frightful bed 

With rocks and blasted trees o'erspread, 

Like some inferno all outworn 



OR, FAIT IPS DEFENSE. 17 

And e'en for demons too forlorn. 

An adder springs np in his path, 

And hardly lias he 'scaped its wrath 

Ere a gaunt wolf before him flees 

Till in the lone stray child he sees 

A delicate and welcome prize 

Which he devours with hungry eyes, — 

As ice-breathed Winter in retreat 

Turns back to blast an April sweet. 

" Rose ! Rose !" George shouts as terrors seize 

His senses and life's currents freeze. 

XIII. 

That morning Ralph woods, hills and glens 
Roams in keen search of specimens — 
Hungry for stones and ores and weeds 
On which omnivorous science feeds — 
Such as the million would contemn 
But each to him a precious gem, 
Kindling a flame that doubt consumes 
And nature's heights and depths illumes 
With light of light till sings this hymn 
His heart in logic of earth's seraphim. 



18 RALPH AND ROSE ; 

Design. 

1. 
"On everything in heaven and earth 

I mark a stamp divine, 
Revealing Him who gave it birth ; 

What is that stamp ? Design. 
Whether it sprang an honr ago, 

Or grew some million years, 
The hand that made it well I know, 

For there his stamp appears! 

2. 
"Let skeptics seek the first great cause 

In Nature's boundless mine, 
And give hard names to all her laws ; 

What proves them blind? Design; 
Whose traces to a child reveal 

Truth love joys most to know, 
The impress deep, the Maker's seal 

Is there God's hand to show. 

3. 

"No sages can that stamp efface 
From aught in earth and skies ; 

On atoms and on suns each trace 
Their reasoning defies : 



OR, FAITH'S DEFENSE. 10 

The simplest floweret breathing sweet, 

Clods bearing golden grain, 
And man himself, a world complete, — 

All, all God's stamp retain. 

4. 

" Yet not in fragrance of the flower 

Or stars on midnight's brow, 
Or mountain's height or ocean's power, 

Or warbling birds, dost Thou, 
O'er charms and miracles of sense, 

Thy gracious presence prove 
So clear as in thy Providence 

And hearts Thou breakst with love." 

XIV, 
Ralph heard a piteous cry for help, 

Which shrilly through the old wood rang ; 
As lioness to save her whelp 

He to the infant's rescue sprang. 
'Twas George, the wolf's pugnacious prey, 

Grasping his little pocket knife, 
And standing manfully at bav, 

To save or dearly sell his life : 



20 RALPH AND ROSE; 

At sight of Ralph with well-plied staff, 
The boy's despair, in triumph's laugh, 
And lowering death as quickly sank 
As spectres in the churchyard dank 
When sun gush swallows gloom: the beast 
Fled his anticipated feast 
As, met by faith and prayer's defense, 
The devil flees from innocence, — 
With looks of flame in tremor sunk 
And quickly in the thicket slunk. 

XV. 

Catching the boy up in his arms, 

Ralph kisses his hot tears away; 
Freed from the torture of alarms, 

His heart leaps up elate and gay, 
And his red pouting lips exclaim, 

'Mid dimpling laughter's overflow, 
" How lucky for the wolf you came ! 

He did not stop to thank you though." 

" You rogue," cries Ralph, " I am a sinner 
To rob his Grimness of a dinner: 
With mischief you more hearts will rack 
Than he and all his prowling pack. 



OR, FAITWS DEFENSE. 21 

You scrap of spirit lightning cast 
Like Eros, born to bless or blast 
E'en with yonr cherub looks and charm 
Which would Suspicion's self disarm, 
Frail hearts, but yet not mine beguile, 
Although a sister in your style, 
Some ten years older, well might be, 
If we should meet, my destiny." 

XVI. 

" Oh, you mean Rose. Hark ! 'tis her cry." 

The urchin shouted in reply. 

Soon Ralph beheld a shape of air 

With bounding step and streaming hair, 

Like angel truant nigh too late 

To enter heaven's closing gate, 

Or Love that must o'ertake or die, 

Or, with the classic strain to vie, — 

Like wood nymph from the amorous breeze 

In panting flight among the trees. 

Now down the rocky glen she flies 

Like Rescue swooping from the skies 

With lightning in her limbs and azure eyes. 



22 RALPH AND ROSE ; 

XVII. 

Breathless the beauty ends her race 

And stands before them with the grace 

Of life's love form, fresh, sweet and pure, 

Making heaven present, near and sure 

And Ralph's heart her delighted slave 

In love unbounded by the grave, 

And growing of its bliss so fond, 

Fancy could dream of naught beyond. 

" Oh, George !" she cries, " you heartless elf, 

How dare you stray and lose yourself 

In woods roamed by the loup-garou 

Who feeds on wicked boys like you ? 

When hunted to this glen he ran — " 

<c Why, Rose, this is the gentleman," 
Said George, presenting Ralph, with look 
Arch and demure, and then he shook 
With all the wantonness of glee, 

Like song dance of a bubbling rill, 
Or bird from cage in Spring set free, 

Till even Rose, against her will, 
The music of her laughter blent 
With Ralph and George's merriment, 



OM, FAITH'S DEFENSE. 23 

Just as the flower that quaffs 
Morn's golden beaming influence, 
When birds their jocund songs commence, 
Unbosoms to the sun 
Till in her heart he glows and laughs 
And steals the sweetness of her soul : 

So Rose gave way to George's fun 
And crowned the triumph of the droll ; 
And Wolf's Gorge, as they called the glen, 
Was turned to frolic gladness then, 
As if it had been Flora's bower 
When she smiles love on every flower 
And every song re-echoes song : 

Though but an instant's gleeful glimmer, 

It tilled that lair with rapture's shimmer, 

Like lauo'hin^ chauut heaven's hills anions; 

Of spirit bigots doomed, awaking, 
Not in the deep for him bespoken 

Of endless death, 
Because he scorned their Shibboleth, 
But where fresh joys are still creating, 
In golden chain, 
By dullness, sorrow, care or pain 
Eternally unbroken, 



24 RALPH AND ROSE ■ 

New heavens in hearts in meekness deep, 
Loving in deeds God's Word to keep, 
And room for higher blisses ever making. 



PART SECOND 



SUMMER 



SUMMER 



I. 



Summer to Rose, in splendor dread, 
In vastness of all surfeit spread, 
Bounty omnipotently shed 
From God's great golden fountain head, 
O'er valley, brookside, hill and plain, 
In waving herbage, fruit and grain, 
Making food life an ocean main, 
Heaves like a flood that cannot tire, 
Or loving Beauty's bosomed fire, 
With growing plenteousness until 
The founts and wells of blessing fill 
And overflow, and Rose o'ercome, 
Finds her thanksgiving awed and dumb 
At Summer's huge extravagance 
Till her good angel breaks the trance 
And gives her bursting heart this utterance 



28 RALPH AND ROSE; 

Song of Summer. 

1 
" Now the year is in its glory, 

And the sun reigns in his strength, 
Earth unbosoms all the story 

Of her boundless love at length, 
Hidden during Winter's coldness, 

Timidly revealed in Spring, 
But responding now with boldness 

To the kisses of day's king. 

2 
" Oh what rich and precious treasures — 

Once in Winter's icy hold — 
What a host of bounding pleasures 

He unlocks with key of gold ! 
How their pulse and blushes deepen 

In the Summer's glowing arms ! 
How her love and breathing sweeten 

Even Earth's most ancient charms ! 

3 

" Starved and frigid was her fairness 
When her breast was clad with snow ; 



OR, FAITH'S DEFENSE. 29 

By the sun redeemed from bareness, 
All her veins with blessing flow 

That her children all may flourish 
On her bosom's warmth and food, 

As our souls still Christ must nourish 
With his precious life and blood. 

"So the soul once given over 

To the selfishness of sin, 
When it finds in Christ its lover, 

Fain would heaven on earth begin, 
Burning to bestow on others 

All that can their good increase, 
And make men a band of brothers 

By the might of love and peace." 

The Sage's Wooing. 
II. 
"1 never shall forget Wolf's Gorge 
And how I found Ralph there," said George, 
" In lair so lonesome, grim and fell, 
Like star seen in a deep dark well. 
Where is he now? What makes him stay? 
Perhaps, Rose, he has lost his way 



30 RALPH AND ROSE; 

In desert vast or forest brakes, 
For even I have made mistakes." 

"What would you, child?" 

" No friend forsakes 
A friend." 

" For him you would go forth 
Who East from West or South from JSTorth 
Can hardly tell, and leave me here, 
Lone, unprotected!" 

George's tear 
By Rose with laughter's trill and ring, 

While to her heart the boy she presses 

And overwhelms him with caresses, 
Is scattered with a sparkling fling, 
Like dewdrops by a zephyr's wing, 
For though she revels in a freak 
That serves his vanity to pique, 
She joys in his conceit's excess, 
To mark such sparks of nobleness. 
" Fear not for Ralph," says Rose. " To err 

In ways of earth he is not prone : 
Too oft the great philosopher 

Misses the path to Heaven alone." 



OR, FAITH'S DEFENSE. 31 

"How can he miss his path on high 
Who every star knows in the sky, 
Or fail of welcome in a sphere 
He always spreads about him here ?" 

III. 

"Ah, George, Ralph has your heart ensnared, 

And taught yon too this high flown strain ! 
For old men boys I never cared, 

And wish yon were all child again. 
Ralph's uncle gave his mind at first 
A quenchless scientific thirst, 
And though as yet it is not cursed 
With unbelief, I fear the worst. 
The soul that close to matter clings 

And o'er its secrets ever pores, 
May paralyze the glorious wings 

With which to faith and Heaven it soars. 
Strange that this uncle burns to blast 

Ralph with his learned skepticism, 
And his pure soul from Heaven cast 

Into Doubt's hopeless black abysm ! 
And love with eager trust must ache 
That he whose thirst God's fountains slake, 



32 RALPH AND ROSE ; 

Can ne'er for Doubt's dark deep forsake 
The gospel's everlasting springs 
Of cure for evils earth life brings 

Which clustering throng or madly mope 
Till snap at last life's mortal strings, 

And soars the soul in faith and hope, 
Beauty and bliss past all imaginings." 

IV. 

" Why here he comes !" George shouted 

"Who? 
Ralph?" 

" Not Ralph, but his uncle Hugh." 

" What can he want ?" 

" He was, you know, 

Made widower a week ago." 



" Six months, child." 



" Well, a millionaire 



For such a trifle need not care : 
And if in age he seeks a mate, 
Will he grow younger, if he wait ?" 

I* "i* ■!* *f* 

As George steals out with waggish air. 
Enters the stately Hugh St. Clair. 
The gray-beard blandly smiles to scan 
No hindrance to his darling plan, 



OH, FAITH'S DEFENSE. 33 

Which his senescence durst propose 
Of gathering the beauteous Rose, 
For he the freshest sweetness chose 
To bloom beside his snow and blight: 
So George had harped his hopes aright. 

V. 

How cunningly the fox untwines 

The skein that wraps his heart's designs, 

With flatteries to Rose applied 

About her fitness to preside 

O'er a vast fortune and dispense 

Its income in beneficence, — 

Of course not leaving unexpressed 

His love, devotion and the rest, — 

While Rose with eyes that light her work, 

And smiles which in her dimples lurk, 

Her needle plies, till ends his glose 

Of compliment and in plain prose 

His hand and wealth he offers Rose 

As grandly as a king his crown. 

Blushing she puts her sewing down 

To meet his steadfast steel blue eyes 

And with deep warmth and calm replies: 



34 RALPH AND ROSE; 

VI. _ 

" Thanks for your generous intent ! 
Deeply I feel the compliment 
From one whose learning I respect 
But yet "— 

"To what do you object?'" 

"Not to your fortune, though aware 

Wealth gives a wider stage to care ; 

As Heaven's steward, let my charge 

For my small skill be not too large; 

Not to your years, for how can they 

Cause an immortal soul's decay ? 

Though schooled by time, by sorrow wrung,, 

The noble soul is ever young : 

But to my girlish fancy (why 

My heart's convictions now deny ?) 

Our marriage views are sundered so — 

I say not which are high or low — 

That they would need, however fleet,, 

A million years or more to meet." 

"You judge me quick" 

" That I could do 
But from the way you came to woo." 



Oi?, FAITH'S DEFENSE. 35 

" I grieve my manners do not suit." 

" They are perfection absolute 

I own, but we in heart and soul, — 

In their least throb, in their grand whole, — 

In all we feel, love, will or think,. 

As fire and ice, as snow and ink 

Are opposite." 

And so they looked, 
And if such contrasts can be brooked 
In marriage, then, come chaos back, 
And stretch May on December's rack 
Of ice : if Hugh and Hose may wed, 
Then let the living clasp the dead ; 
Let light wed night, or upward driven, 
Let black Gehenna marry Heaven. 

VII. 

He seemed an iceberg wafted South 
Into the Summer's spicy mouth, 
And his long, snowy beard and hair 
Brought into mind a polar bear, — 

While she with whom he would be merged 
In wedlock, was as fresh a thing 
As God e'er made in Eden's Spring, 



36 RALPH AND ROSE; 

His loveliness to show and sing; 

And calmly, firmly, sweetly urged 
" On discord's shore we should be wrecked 1 : 
You are a giant intellect 
Whom faith in no form e'er beguiled, 
And I but superstition's child. 
You proudly as Goliath tower 
And brave — nay more — ignore the Power 
At whose feet I like infant cower/' 

" But may not opposites unite ?" 

" Never can hearts so opposite 
Into that holy union grow 
Which I call marriage. 'Tis the flow 
Of soul to soul in love kept bright, 
Pure, fresh and warm by faith, delight, 
High thought, respect, and kindness free 
And mutual as the bounding glee 
Of playmate hearts in infancy, 
O'erflowing with life's melody." 

Till. 

"A poet's dream or girlish quest ! 
What pair were ever so much blessed ?" 



OR, FAITH'S DEFENSE. 37 

"My parents — who were paired in fact 
Like grand thought with heroic act — 
Sweet fragrance with love's line as sweet — 
Beauty with strength in form complete, 
High use with pure delight combined, 
Or love with wisdom in G-od's mind." 

Puzzled, surprised, yet entertained, 
So long her aged guest remained 
That when he left, Rose felt relieved, 
Yet with a dread her bosom heaved 
Lest he by her rejection hurt, 
From Ralph his favor might avert, 
For Ralph of late was named his heir, 
And Hugh must know them soon a plighted 

pair. 

Ralph's Quest. 
IX. 

The love of truth is wisdom's hire. 

The heart of Summer in Ralph glowed ; 
He felt in all his veins her fire; 

And through his soul her music flowed. 
Would she not make her secrets known 

To one whose love for her was flame, 



38 RALPH AND ROSE ; 

While scientists as cold as stone 

Were plodding calmly on to fame ? 
He plodded too as tirelessly 

As any Dryasdust could. bore 
To some worm-eaten mystery 

Which modern makes historic lore : 
But most he burned to dive beneath 

The secrets science now unseals 
And prove the universe the sheath 

Of lightning truth which God reveals. 
He gave the search his soul of thought 

And fresh intensity of youth, 
And in the cells of Nature caught 

Glimpses divine of inmost truth. 



In love and wisdom's own behoof, 

From rock beds to heaven's starry roof, — 

In burning gem and clod opaque, — 

In lightning's dance, snow's floating flake,- 

In tiger ocean, lamb-like lake, — 

Earth's tranquil sleep and direful quake, — 

As made for revelation's sake, 

The All-wise God Almighty spake, 



OR, FAITH'S DEFENSE. 3J> 

In tones which dream} 7 silence make 
Too full of loveliness to wake, 
And thunders which heaven seem to take 
Dash earthward and asunder break ; 
In principles which secret keep 

Beyond all microscopic test, 
And systems in whose awful sweep 

Infinitude is manifest: 
But when with rays so pure he tried 

To break through atheistic mist, 
"This light confirms our teaching!" cried 

Each rock-intrenched materialist: 
The greatest conquests of his mind 

That gave his name to glory they 
Warped from the service he designed 

To their idolatry of clay. 



XL 



Sick of contention and disgust 

With sapient worshippers of dust, 

For peace and rest his spirit yearned, 

And to the home of Rose his footsteps turned. 



40 RALPH AND ROSE; 

XII. 

As Ralph the vine-clad cottage neared 

To him by love and hope endeared, 

A voice caught Night in her descent, 

And filled her deepening extent 

Of golden dusk with languishment, 

While tears of fond solicitude 

The hearer's pallid cheek bedewed 

At tones whose dying languor pressed 

The heart like light's last tremors in the West. 

Rose's Song. 
1. 
* ' The Rose wooed by the Nightingale, 

With song in starlight hush, 
Drank sadness first that turned her pale, 

Then love that made her blush : 
All night her cheek with white and red 

Betrayed her tender fears 
Till sunlight raised her drooping head 
And kissed away her tears. 

2. 
" Yet day seemed long and dull and dead, 
Compared with night and love : 



OR, FAITH'S DEFENSE. 41 

She joyed yet trembled when day fled, 

And Dian climbed above. 
Alas ! the minstrel came no more, 

And night, consumed in sighs, 
Seemed like the bleak and barren shore 

That once was paradise. 

3. 

"She paled and faded — every day 

And night some beauty stole 
Till all her charms had passed away, 

Except her fragrant soul : 
Wafted at last on angel plumes 

To heaven's blooming sward, 
Sweetest of all, she now perfumes 

The garden of the Lord." 

XIII. 

The song sank tremulous to sleep 
Just as the moon began to peep 

Above the Eastern wave, 
And just as sunset's gleams died out, 
Like mourners lingering about 

A dear one's flower-strewn grave; 
The last strains panted — faint and slow, 



42 RALPH AND ROSE; 

As fond to stay and loth to go ; 

But scarcely had they ceased ere woke 

A clearer, bolder, heartier song, — 
As sorrow had her fetters broke 

And in her hope and trust grown strong : 
Cheery yet plaintive still at times, 
Pure, sweet it rang as heaven's inmost chimes. 

The Unfailing Friend. 

1. 
"I have a friend, a faithful friend 

On whom alone I can rely, 
Whose kindness for me has no end, 

For, like his love, it cannot die : 
Oft I defeat his loving aims, 

And make his gracious goodness vain, 
But soon the truant he reclaims, 

And softens my hard heart again. 

2. 
" Though often I forget Him, ne'er 

Does He forget me day or night ; 
When I sink deepest in despair, 

And grow a stranger to delight, 



OR, FAITH'S DEFENSE. 43 

How sweetly does his love draw near 
Its sunshine o'er my woe to cast, 

And scatter to the winds all fear 
And fold me to his heart at last ! 

3. 

" Staunch are the friendships which endure 

While we preserve our faith to them, 
Though wo-begone we grow and poor, 

And all the world beside condemn ; 
But thine, O Lord! in blackest gloom, 

E'en when I turn my back on thee, 
Proves constant, and beyond the tomb, 

Will bless me through eternity. 

4. 

"He roams afar who won my troth, 

Nor bids love's golden hours repass, 
Nor greets the star once dear to both, 

And should we meet no more, alas ! 
My heart were ever cast away, 

Christ's feet could I not clasp and kiss 
And, like fond Mary, weep and pray 

Myself into his love and bliss." 



44 RALPH AND ROSE ; 

XIV. 

A little morsel of a hand, 

As soft as warm, in Ralph's was thrust ; 
A little voice's reprimand 

Rose sweet, though meant to be robust: 
" How oft, Ralph, must I caution you 

Not to expose yourself as now, 
Beneath a heavy falling dew? 

Such rashness I shall not allow : 
Come in at once, or I'll call Rose ! 
I should be sorry to resort to blows." 
George leads his captive to his cot 
As much contented with his lot 
As one who strayed from heaven remains 
Although brought back to bliss in chains. 

JjC »$* 5gC Sp 

A world of tender est communion 
Created by two hearts' reunion, 
Blending in strains as sweetly voiced 
As e'er o'er foeman saved rejoiced, 
Exalts the life of Ralph and Rose 
As lovingly their hearts unclose, 
And thoughts ineffable arise 
From springs of soul sublimities — 



OR, FAITH'S DEFENSE. 45 

Thoughts on whose seraph wings they range 
The universe in spirits' freest interchange. 

XV. 

Heaven by Earth had been forgot 

Long, long ago, had lovers not — 

Such lovers as these two — revived, 

Where woes and evils thickest hived, 

Its sweetness; and should we confide 

The secret piety would hide, 

We should confess that he with soul 

That scorns its wealth of love to dole 

But nobly gives to her whose mind 

Mates his in truth and love refined, 

In gentleness, sweet manners, taste, 

Grace, kindness, bounty free from waste, 

Intelligence, wit, cheerfulness, 

True meekness never spiritless, 

Heart piety and purity, 

Devoid of cant and prudery, 

And — this should be so very small — 

A spice of mischief for them all — 

Humor whose sparkles dulness kill 

As stars night's gloom with beauty fill, — 



46 RALPH AND ROSE; . 

Has heaven in his home and breast 
Which G-od for man created first 
As meetest, sweetest, loveliest, best; 

Nor has his fiat been reversed 
But still delight supreme conveys 
When each his holy law obeys, 
And man for woman's well might skip 
Archangel's bright companionship. 



XVI. 

Ralph rest had sought from studious thought 

And bathed his soul in freshness sweet 
With which he found the Summer fraught 

While worshipping at Rose's feet; 
But still at times his mind recurred 

To deep and scientific themes, 
And as she watched his spirit stirred 

With revelation's lofty gleams, 
She sympathized with his unrest, 

And wished his faith, like hers, enshrined 
Above man's scientific test, 

And thus unbosomed all her mind: 



OR, FAITH'S DEFENSE. 47 

XYIL 

"Let not my faith on science hang, 

Or demonstration clear and cold, 
No more than on the wild harangue 

Of zealot reasonless as bold. 
Spirit alone can spirit view, 

And God alone himself declare, 
As he hath never failed to do 

In answer to the soul of prayer. 
How vainly godless Science tries 
To build her Babel to the skies! 
There is, thank Heaven ! something still 
Which mocks her scrutiny and skill, 
And ever will her search defy, 
Though noonday e'en to such as I. 
The wonders of the lens and prism 
Lay bare and nature's mechanism 
And fuel feeding fire and force 
In small and great, still life's prime source 
Her search will ever mocking shun : 
True Science and true Faith are one, 
And lisping babes in prayer clasp 
That source no skeptic e'er will grasp. 
The ark of God is in the soul, 



48 RALPH AND ROSE; 

Too pure and high for man's control; 

My spirit there let God attune 

And with my heart himself commune, 

For human aid would violate 

Its awf ulness and challenge Uzzah's fate." 

XVIII. 

" Hose, scorn not science. In its place 

The works of nature's God to trace, 

And in his love and wisdom bask, 

Archangels have no nobler task: 

But as man gropes, he is too prone 

To view the held already sown 

As growth spontaneous. Each new spark 

That lights up process once so dark, 

Instead of being humbly taken 

As ray which should more awe awaken, 

As Gocl dispensed witli wins acclaim, 

To make the spirit quench the name 

That lights its inmost depth divine, 

And for clod life Gocl life resign. 

This is the soul's forbidden fruit, 

And fatal still is its pursuit, 

Leading us on, from link to link, 

To types upon creation's brink, 



OM, FAITWS DEFENSE. 49 

And filling us with vanity 
And glory of discovery, 
While tracing Time's trail from a past 
Sublime, inimitably vast, 
Embracing life's and nature's fount, 
Which tempt the Maker's throne to mount 
And boast how deeply science delves 
To prove how forms and worlds create them- 
selves. 



XIX. 

" Look not dismayed, my pretty Rose, 
For Faith its might to battle owes, 
And truth and error conflict wage 
Within our souls from youth to age, 
And as mankind in wisdom grows 
Truth wrestles with far subtler foes. 
No longer on the rack or stake 
Are we made martyrs for her sake: 
The strife grows keener, higher far, 
For intellects conduct the war: 
The Great-Hearts of our faith now deal 
With foemen worthy of their steel; 



50 RALPH AND ROSE; 

But he who turns to God for light 

And in God's strength maintains the fight, 

Can scorn the scientist's surprise 

That whelms with mingled truth and lies 

And matter's glaring evidence, 

The would-be soulless slaves of sense; 

For to the seeker never yet 

Did God refuse his lamp to set 

In his creation which displays 

His hand in all his works and ways, 

And makes the sky and earth and stream 

With his design and glory beam. 

XX. 

" The strife of all is, — Which the winner 
Shall be, the outer life or inner ? 
The light of sense? or light of soul 
Illuming God's and nature's scroll ? 
The palpable that scoffs at doubt — 
As burning noontide, thunder's shout, 
World-centre-piercing, cloud-girt rocks, 
Earth's herds, infinity's sun flocks 
Grazing along the milky ways, 
Making us faint with wonder's daze, — 



OR, FAITH'S DEFENSE. 51 

All through the telescope that blaze — 

All through the microscope that raise 

Eternal marvel and amaze ? 

( )r that more wondrous infinite 

The soul, by which alone is lit 

The universe to sense and thought, 

Without which all that is were nought, 

( )r mere encumbrance and a mass 

Of death, but through whose sun-fires pass 

Earth's clods and into beauty melt, 

As forms of love and wisdom felt, 

Proving God's breath divinely burns 

In us and dust to glory turns? 

Such is the strife. Leave me not out 

With cravens making it a rout. 

As free to choose I hold it right 

That soul in soul should fijdit its fight. 

Heavens hallelujahs chant, hells hiss 

As cleaves the soul its way to bliss. 

The image and the likeness too, 

This soul life war, of His who slew 

With agonies of agonies, 

To which his pangs of flesh were ease, — 

All our heaven-barring enemies: 



52 RALPH AND ROSE; 

And he against whose spirit's poise 
Swell sirens' strains, beat demons' noise, 
And shower the shafts of unbelief, 
Who closer clasps Salvation's Chief, 
Shall win in heaven a place and name 
Above the martyrs of the rack and name." 

XXI. 

" I am, Ralph, but a simple girl, 

Shocked by discussion's flash and whirl, 

But sometimes words will come as though 

Lightning had set my soul allow, 

Because my faith in God is born 

Of love too perfect not to scorn 

All proof and confirmation less 

Than Christ and his own loveliness; 

For in his beauty's every line, 

So purely, lovingly divine, — 

In every ray of his I see 

The proof of his Divinity; 

In every word of his I feel 

The God no science can reveal. 

I dwell not on his All-efficience, 

The glorious proof of his Omniscience, 



OR, FAITH'S DEFENSE. 53 

And other attributes that stun 

With boundlessness all minds but One; 

Nor even on the God oe Law 

Who fills my mind with dread and awe, 

For my heart welcomes most the dove 

Of meekness, sweetness, goodness, love, — 

(Though comfort whispers in our breasts 

All power beneath his softness rests,) 

Who came from heaven but to cure 

The ills of life and make us pure ; 

Who turned from greatness, pride and wealth, 

From beauty, learning, joy and health, — 

To serve the helpless of our kind, 

The crippled, deaf, dumb, sick, and blind, 

And preached the gospel to the poor, 

And led the lost to heaven's door; 

And thus he grew our hearts so near, 

And to our souls than life more dear. 

He lived but love, but mercy breathed — 

Which his last gasp for whom besuiight ? 
His death, which endless life bequeathed, 

All ! can it fill the sinner's thought 
With love's all beautiful excess 
Of agony to save and bless, 



54 RALPH AND MOSE ; 

And beckon up atonement's road 

Our tottering steps to Gocl's abode, 

And not make life a liymn to Christ, 

In boundless love imparadised, 

While God in him our hearts confess 

With rapture's tears of thankfulness ? 

Proofs, linked like suns in golden chain, 

Of such a God seem but profane ; 

And blazed such proofs from earth to skies 

As sense or science ne'er denies, 

Which skepticism as madness scout, 

My eyes would close to shut them out 

As giving me no choice to make 

Of faith in God for his dear sake ; 

For if his beauty, goodness, love, 

Grace, mercy, sweetness do not prove 

Christ Lord and God, I care not, I, 

For all the proofs that learning can supply. 17 



PART THIRD. 

AUTUMN 



AUTUMN.* 

Hose's Peril. 
I. 

What is that love resembling hatred, 

That selfish, merciless desire, — 
Which, like an altar dread and sacred, 

Consumes its victims in its fire ? 
All ! Love at least should be protection, 

Nor view its object but as prey; 
Yet Claude has sworn, since his rejection, 

His loved one and himself to slay. 

* * * * * #■ # 

Now through the lattice fiercely gazes, 
The savage, hither crept in stealth, 

On beauty which his senses crazes — 

Rose breathing sweetness, grace and health, 



* The four parts of this poem, "Spring," '"Summer," 
"Autumn," and "Winter" are thus entitled because each 
part was written at the time of the year after which it is 
named but all four were intended to be suggestive rather 
than descriptive of the Seasons. The alternative title, 
"Faith's Defense," should also be taken with similar 
limitation, as the author, far from attempting to cover 
the whole field, has contented himself with indicating a 
plain and noble line of defense. 



58 RALPH AND ROSE; 

Singing in pure affections' tones 

That into cheer lull Autumn's moans, 
And harkening murder melt in strain 
Sweet as glad news by which despair is slain. 



Song of Autumn. 



"Autumn's golden tresses weighted 
With the riches of the year, — 

And her lap with plenty freighted 
Ripened brown and purple cheer, 

With abundance fraught and sated 
For all life and health and mirth, 
Make her heiress of the earth. 



"Gorgeous Autumn hath imparted 

All the wealth we can employ, 
Which when garnered well and marted 



Turns bleak Winter into 



j°y- 



OM, FAITH'S DEFENSE. 59 

3. 

" Wisdom ripe that Age hath mated — 

Sorrow's priceless riches — life, 
Noble deeds have consecrated — 

Heart in love still young — and strife, 
Which from the soul hath alienated 

Every littleness and pelf, 

Make Age heir of Heaven itself. 

4. 
" Flesh in Death's hour well may tremble 

At the pit so dark and grim, 
But the souls that Christ's resemble 

Death nor grave can keep from Him." 
Here seems to end the golden links 
Of her sweet tones, but as she sinks 
Her head on her dead mother's chair, 
Murmurs her song as if in prayer : — 

5. 
"If a noble heart is bleeding 

From a wound mine bled to give, 
Let — at angels' interceeding — 

Peace and sweet forgiveness live 
Up the heavenward pathway leading, 



60 RALPH AND ROSE ; 

Till his soul its grandeur wakes 
And the spell of passion breaks. 



" If through me must come an anguish, 

Let no other suffering bear ; 
If for me his pleasures languish, 

Give him, Heaven, all my share !" 

II. 

No flower that highest angels cull, 
Breathes tenderness ineffable 
So mightily as softly awed 
Rose's las t tones the soul of Claude : 
Though low as death, their depth sincere, 
As heaven's blue intensely clear — • 
Sunlight ot perfect level's tr#ci $fr* he *"€ 
Revealed to him a goodness vast 
From which his spirit shrank aghast. 
Trembling he stole from the dear spot, 
Shrinking from self as from a blot 
On nature, nor e'en durst he raise 
His eyes to meet that Heaven's gaze 
That scorched his soul : In haste he fled 
To woods that densest darkness shed. 



OR, FAITH'S DEFENSE. 61 

Remorse. 

Ill 

Natures that cower but to force, 

Could ne'er have suffered Claude's remorse ; 

Nothing so deep and keen could live 

Save in a heart most sensitive ; 

And Claude, in danger bold and proud, 

By Virtue's awfulness was cowed 

Because his mocking scorn scarce veiled 

Worship profound that never failed 

Beauty in Goodness to discern 

For which love's heart must ever yearn, 

And inmost thought to subjugate 

To Virtue pure and delicate; 

For though wild passion's stains it bore, 

His soul was noble at the core. 

IV. 

Beings in Nature's grand accord 

Find her a mother rich in gifts, 
Though some are loved and more abhorred 

As thought or mood or passion shifts : 



62 RALPH AND ROSE; 

In springtide's sun Claude's soul had laughed 

Till wanton with delight it grew ; 
But now late Autumn's gloom it quaffed 

Where thickest shades their horrors brew, 
And there in his moroseness sunk 
Of self-created woe grew drunk. 
It soothed his mind at life to growl 
And hear the winds of heaven howl; 
To echo sighs that Nature heaved 
As of their charms the storm bereaved 
Her ladened trees and bosomed vales, 
And scattered them in whooping gales : 
His heart said " Even Nature grieves 
And weeps o'er me her falling leaves, 
While swift-winged hosts her skies forsake 
And to her heart creeps every snake, 
For she her breast all bare must strip 
To Winter's keen and icy grip.''" 

V. 

Wearied at last of dreams so foul — 
Of dragon snaring snowy doves, 

Of glaring wolf and hooting owl, 

And hell's own hideousness which loves 



OH, FAIT IPS DEFENSE. 63 

Its horrid shapes in minds to flannt 

On which the clouds of conscience lower. 
Bright Cheer, that child of Heaven, to daunt 
And turn e'en Christ's sweet pardon sour, 
Claude's spirit rose. A Father's call 
From heaven readied the prodigal, 
And wrath at self less wildly surged, 
And into light his sonl emerged, 
Still cumbered with some shadows sad 
Till to his bosom leaped a lad, 
Exclaiming, "Claude! lias hick forsaken 
Your sport or are you ague shaken : 
You look half dead and buried. Fie! 
You should be happy as am I; 
For you are noble. My heart owns 
That hut for you my little bones 
Would now be rocking 'neatli the sea 
Instead of dancing on your knee. 
1 love yon, Claude, and I can tell 
Another who loves you as well." 

"Who is it, George ? 

"Blanche Arlingsted 

Worships the ground on which you tread. 



64 RALPH AND BOSE ; 

She's pretty too and sweet as Rose, 
And has a hundred handsome beaux. 
I pity her, for keenest woe 
Is love despised." 

" What do you know 
About it?" 

"All: I'll tell you Claude, 
(But do not let it get abroad) 
I once had Cor, a pretty bird, 
The sweetest singer ever heard, 
That flew into a fluttering rage 
Whenever I went near its cage, 
Although I tended it with care ; 
And yet it loved that Ralph St. Clair, 
Coming and wooing at his call. 
This was enough to raise one's gall, 
And once I felt my bile so stirred 
That I resolved to kill the bird. 
I see you blush for me. Poor Cor ! 
We men have much to answer for." 

VI. 

" Where is Ralph now, George ?" 

" In a war 
Of words at Beechhill. It is bad 



OM, FAITH'S DEFENSE. 65 

To talk too much. He drives me mad, 

When I would speak. Why, Ears and Eyes, 

Not Tongue, Rose says, make people wise. 

I left his company and dull 

Discussion on the beautiful 

With ladies and his uncle Hugh — 

What is the hour, Claude ?" 

"Almost two." 
" Then I deserve the soundest rating. 
Good-by, dear Claude, for Rose is waiting." 

VII. 

George sight outleaped as wild birds vanish 
That hear the erring fire-arm's burst. 

Claude smiled; then sighed, yet strove to 

[banish 
The gloom he had so lately nursed. 

He turned his steps to Beechhill Grove, 
And on his way his fancy wove 
Mixed webs whose lines, like sunless day, 
Changed darkness into sober gray. 
Now clouds are breaking overhead 
As memory draws Blanche Arlingsted 



66 RALPH AND ROSE; 

Whose pure white charm and blush attract 
The gaze of love, but ne'er exact 
A dazzled worship which the dome 
Of God befits, but not sweet home, 
For, free or forced, it must oppress 
A mate whose soul is manliness, 
Who on his hearth its god must be, 
Or scorn his own authority. 

VIII. 

With thoughts adrift on smoother tide, 
Beechhill was reached, and, at the side 
Of Ralph, self-doubting Claude felt safe 
From the mad freaks of passion's chafe; 
For spirit's curb is spirit higher; [lire. 

Ralph's white heat calm tamed Claude's wild 
Ralph played and sang. His golden clutch 
Of chords and liquid lightning touch 
Flung from the cool piano keys 
(As humming bird's wings whip the breeze 
Till one but darting swiftness sees) 
More sweetness than draw swarms of bees 
In Spring from flowers all day long; 
And, thus sustained, his mellow song 



OR, FAITH'S DEFENSE. G7 

And voice grew luscious, full and round 

As seraph's in whose tones resound 

Immortal love, unbounded, sprung 

From God, — all ripe yet ever young ; 

In thrills of joy, in bliss of tears, 

And gathered richness of some million years. 



Ralph's Song. 



1. 



"What is the beautiful on earth 

But heaven come below 
To lure us to the home of God 

Where none can sorrow know ? 
The sun all gold, the moon all sheen, 

The stars like angels' eyes, — 
The streams that murmur evermore, 

And glass the clear blue skies, — 
The flowers that sweetly breathe and blush. 

Like babes in rosy sleep, 
Herald that world where none — except 

From joy's excess — can weep. 



68 It ALP H AND ROSE; 

2. 

" The beautiful, the golden chain 

Which Heaven to earth supplies, 
The angels twine about the heart 

And lift us to the skies. 
A maid with beauty (like the Morn 

Whose blush puts out the stars, 
When she the portals of the sun 

With glowiog touch unbars) 
Dawned on my soul with light as soft 

As fills the courts above, 
But Heaven summoned her away 

And left me only love. 

3. 

" The beautiful is wisdom's form 

And love's, but nothing more, 
Which we with their sun life should fill 

Brimful and flowing o'er; 
Then as you bathe your soul in light 

Of gentle dawn and eve, — 
As beauty's charms your thoughts of all 

But grace and love bereave, — 



OR, FAITH'S DEFENSE. 69 

As dusk's first birth of stars you watch 

And Spring's first roses greet, 
Let Heaven make your heart and soul 

As pure and bright and sweet." 

Breakers. 
IX. 

The equinox in Autumn rumbling 

Drew Ralph and Claude from dames in silk 
To billows white with fury, tumbling 

On rocks and churning their own milk. 

"I like," said Ralph, "this wild commotion 

Among the hosts of tireless waves; 
I like the winds that lash the ocean 

Until for very wrath it raves. 
Mark the long lines of armies crested 

March dauntlessly against the shore, 
Until their charge, by rocks arrested, 

Breaks up in foam and battle roar ! 
E'en while my footing shakes with terror 

And stinging spray flies in my face, 
[ think of error's strife with error 

On the mind's sea of all our race. 



70 RALPH AND ROSE ; 

For every moment an opinion 

Rises to sink and disappear, 
The lofty struggling for dominion, 

To split on solid facts as here. 
Behold the waves of swelling fashion 

By ever shifting folly clad ! 
Here dashes too tumultuous passion 

In chase of its own ruin mad." 

X. 

"That last lash, Ralph, on me descended," 

Said Claude, "and I must own it just ; 
But passion only has offended ; 

If that bids sin, then sin I must. 
God made you like yon cliff and I 

Am but the reckless, dashing breaker; 
So was I born, so shall I die ; 

And who shall dare arraign my Maker ?" 

XT. 

"Ah, Claude! you natter me and slander 
The nature God to you lias given, 

Because you fancy it far grander 
To be all dash and thunder-riven. 



OR, FAITH'S DEFENSE. 71 

( )f torrent impulse every feature 

You proudly own but mirrors mine, 
And if I am not passion's creature, 

Let prayer be praised and Grace Divine. 
Yon cliff whose head is heaven's neighbor, 

Serenely sentinels the sea, 
(While foam-lipped waves its sides belabor,) 

Like GTod's eternal truth not me. 
Mark well their headlong onset dashing 

To bring the cliff on their own heads, 
And their recoil in wrath and splashing, 

Snow-boiling whirl and flying shreds ! 
And thus as banded skeptics batter 

Salvation's everlasting rock, 
Its might and calm their forces shatter, 

Scatter, confound, o'erwhelm and mock, 
Still scathless stands its front serene, 
As if such bitter foes had never been !" 

XII. 

" I like your preaching, Ralph, far better 

Than any other I have heard, 
Because you do not reason fetter 

And are as good as your own word ; 



72 RALPH AND ROSE; 

But I can never tell my loathing 

For that too much professing pack, — 

Foxes and wolves that wear sheeps' clothing 
And every noble instinct lack. 

$fc ifc ■Jf 3k 3fc 

First comes your bigot stern and wrathful, 

Soul-cramped in creed, yet heaven's pet, 
Whose god is but a despot scathful 

To all except the bigot's set. 
Next stalks his saintship stiff and formal, 

In his perfection's pride and chill, 
With gust quite orthodox and normal 

Except for close and luscious ill : 
But worse than either is the weeper 

O'er others' sins his own outweigh, — 
The fawning, whining, pious creeper 

Into the trusts he dares betray 
In the sweet face of heaven — ay, 
Though widows wail and orphans cry 
Whom he despoils, and, starving, stretch 
Their hands for vengeance on the wretch : 
And shall they not God's lightning fetch, 
Though still he pray and preach some mission 
To raise the heathen souls' condition?" 



OR, FAITH'S DEFENSE. 73 

XIII. 

" Claude! Claude! you speak with too much 

gall, 
For they are few you set for all. 
In battle we fought side by side, 
And view that past with worthy pride, 
For we fought in our country's ranks 
And hosts unborn shall give us thanks. 
Than they who with us death ward dashed, 
Nobler ne'er steel in battle flashed ; 
But where sounds War her fife and drum 
And draws not round a human scum, 
Worse than the carrion birds of prey 
And battening on the dead as they ? 
But though they pestered each brigade, 
Could they our holy cause degrade ? 
And where is he who now believes 
That hireling braves and craven thieves 
Heroic armies represent 
That blood alone for freedom spent ; 
Or thus would Honor's self defame 
And patriotism a cheat proclaim ? 



74 RALPH AND ROSE; 

XIV. 

"And with our patriot hosts accord 
The human armies of the Lord 
Whose ranks those reptiles still infest 
Mercy herself can but detest, — 
Skulkers and hucksters, souls like pools 
Of filth and loathly as the ghouls, 
Who yet with cant all converse spice 
To make religion mask their vice, — 
Their pride, ambition, avarice, 
Lust, meanness, hate, and cowardice ; 
But though faith's hosts these miscreants, 
haunt, — 

The curse of earth's church militant, — 

And atheists joining in the plot 

The record of the saints to blot, 

From Satan's pallet pigments choose 

To paint them 'in his darkest hues, 

The pure in heart can they defile, 

Or join the holy with the vile ? 

With noblest feelings, thoughts and deeds 

Onward and heavenward still proceeds 

The march of saints of every nation 

Led by the Captain of Salvation. 



OR, FAITH'S DEFENSE. 75 

XV. 

u The purest gold and noblest gem 

That beam in royal diadem 

Challenge the counterfeiter's skill 

As pure religion's graces fill 

The hypocrite with lust to dress 

In their meek-hearted loveliness, 

The hell within him of deceit 

And win e'en heaven with a cheat : 

And idiots are they indeed 

Who let the heartless knave succeed 

His sounding brass as gold to pass, 

And make them slight pure gold as brass — 

Religion's counterfeit palm off 

Till at Religion's self his victims scoff. 

XVI. 
" The hypocrite who dares pretend 

To own the pearl beyond all price, 
The matchless grace its beauties lend, 

Proves as he toils at his device : 
If thus the shadow be esteemed 

Think how its glorious substance blessed 
Those Christ himself from sin' redeemed, 

And godhood on their souls impressed ! 



76 RALPH AND ROSE; 

Some rose to fame and led the world, 
And others in the ranks remained, 

Under the banner Christ unfurled, 
And over sin and selfhood gained 

The victory whose crown is set 

With morning stars of glory met 

To hear the seraphs' joy in song, 

As one more mortal joins their throng, 

Escaped from flesh and death's decree 

To put on immortality. 

XVII. 

" But though the gems of God imboss 
The crown of him who bears the cross 
Through Sin and Death's dark shadowed 

vales, 
And the steep height to Heaven scales, 
While fiery shafts Apollyon hails, 
And with temptations dire assails, — 
Let me confess how oft he quails, 
And his hard lot and woe bewails, 
And though the battle must be won, 
In his own might it is not done : 



OR, FAITH'S DEFENSE. 77 

The son of grace is ne'er o'erthrown ; 

He conquers, but by Grace and Grace alone. 

XVIII. 

" The flame of Grace that angels fanned 

To life with gentle wings and care, 
In soul imperilled will expand 

Terrific into lightning glare, 
Beat Satan back and turn to chill 

By Heaven's chastest, loveliest spell, 
The fiercest lust he can instill, 

Born in the firiest depths of hell. 

XIX. 

" Not only in majestic start, 
But in calm home — on busy mart — 
Where Love her sweetest treasures hives — 
Where Interest her bargains drives — 
Where souls expand — where they contract — 
In passion's calm and cataract — 
In dealings small — each petty thing, 
Whether it cheer the mind or stino: — 
In the far mission where the wild 
Outhorrors aught but its own child 



78 RALPH AND ROSE; 

In foulest, densest darkness bred 
Magic and murder ever spread, 
While he who toils to break its reign 
Torture defies and your disdain ; — 
In sweet refinement's downy clasp 
Whose folds oft hide Sin's deadly asp,- 
In dire misfortune, — slight mishap, — 
In starving want, or plenty's lap, — 
Before the world at martyr's stake, — 
In secret God alone can break, — 
Engirds the soul the flame of Grace 
Its strength in honesty to brace, — 
Whether attacking or attacked, 
And keep it pure in aim in act. 

XX. 

" But he whose prayer to God is trust 
In love as infinite as just, 
God — in his dealings best portrayed — 
In grace comes ever to his aid, 
And is as sweetest mercy felt, 
But to the bigots who ne'er knelt 
Save in the pride that bows the knee 
Less for their sins' impunity 



OB, FAITH' 8 DEFENSE. 79 

Than place on high, as courtiers wring 

By worship favors from their king, 

God seems the despot lie would be 

Were one of them the deity. 

But must you kiss the bigot's rod 

And worship his idea of God \ 

What ! crush for him your loftiest thought, 

And fall beneath his juggernaut ? 

Better learn faith on Afric's shore 

And fetish with its blacks adore ! 

Clearly in Christ is God expressed, 

God in the flesh, God manifest: 

Study his life, his steps pursue, 

Nor skeptics heed, nor bigot crew, 

And he your soul to heaven will build 

Till it becomes his palace filled 

With forms sublime and blissful air 

That breathe his love and glory there ; — 

Till God's own image Adam bore, 

But more divine the Heavens restore ; — . 

Till doubt is dead and buried too, 

And God makes his abode with you ; — 

Till Christ and you blend into one 

As light and fervor in the sun. 11 



PART FOURTH: 



WINTER 



WINTER. 



Home Sport. 



Rose, Blanche and George in sport together 

Are making merry with the snow, 
With cheeks all rosy from the weather, 

And hearts with gladness all aglow: 
And now they have their fnll of langhter, 

And their mad romp is at the best, 
Blanche flies, with her wild playmates after, 

And round the cottage hearth they rest. 

II. 

*' My heart," said Blanche, " has burst its traces ; 

To you, dear Rose, the fault belongs; 
Charm the steed's leaps to sober paces 

With one of your sweet home-made songs." 
"Ah, sport," said Rose, "is grave employment; 

The lightest zephyrs sigh at times; 
So we will temper our enjoyment 

Witli pensive tones and thoughtful rhymes." 



84 RALPH AND HOSE ; 

Song- of Winter. 

1. 

"Lo the earth hath clad in bleakness 

All her charms dead long ago, 
And the sun betrays his weakness 

In a faint and heartless glow : 
While he mocks her vain beseeching 

To unfreeze her bosom bare, 
Skeletons of trees are reaching 

To the heavens in despair. 

2. 
"Not a bird is here to chaunt me 

Songs of gratitude and cheer, 
But long blasts of moaning haunt me, 

Filling me with vaguest fear ! 
E'en the brook that used to battle 

With its pebbles night and day, 
Long hath ceased its dulcet prattle, 

Frozen still and hard as they. 

3. 
" Not a sweet friend now is left me 
Of the throngs that won my love ;; 



OR, FAITH'S DEFENSE. Sr> 

Winter hath of all bereft me 

But the sparkling hosts above: 
In my soul their beauty burning, 

While o'er earth he spreads his pall, 
All my soul to heaven turning, 

Proves his teaching best of all. 

4. 
"Other seasons, all indulgence, 

Rain their bounties full and fast, 
Drowning thought with their effulgence, 

Till bare Winter comes at last, 
Bidding thought the inmost enter 

By the gateway of the soul, 
And draw nigli creation's centre, 

Life, light, spirit, source and goal." 

II. 
"Thanks, darling Rose, you charm the senses 

With sweetness luscious as love's feast, 
And yet your song pure truth dispenses 

As grandly as God's chosen priest: 
And I need now a fresh imbuing 

Of gospel light, lest it go out, 
For Hugh St. Clair has been pursuing 



8G RALPH AND ROSE; 

My soul with reasoning and doubt : 
I am I know a fool to listen 

To learned eloquence I hate, 
As is the bird to watch the glisten 

Of serpent eyes that fascinate; 
But he begins, all fears disarming, 

On pleasant themes that win the ear; 
On Nature wonderful and charming, 

Till his discourse makes her appear 
The universal legislator, 

And life the product of her laws, 
And, finally, her own creator, 

The first, the last and sole great cause. 

III. 
" I shrink and sigh as he is showing 

Matter is all that was and is, 
And soul or spirit but the showing 

Of some of its chance qualities ; — 
As hope into the grave is slipping, — 

And soul of its unending term 
And godlike grandeur he is stripping, 

To leave man but a writhing worm ; — 
As angels' beauty, heaven's blisses, 

We trust the righteous will possess 



OR, FAITH'S DEFENSE. 87 

When death their souls from earth dismisses, — 

He sinks in utter rottenness, — 
I shrink and sigh, but as for trying 

To stem his rush of fallacies, 
Or even battle by denying 

That he, in his pet theories, 
Has shown how first it came to pass 
Planets and suns were made of gas — 
How matter is the source of all — 
How into laws it chanced to fall, — 
How blent, how solid made, resolved, 
And into higher forms evolved, — 
And mind is but its attribute, 
And man himself another brute : 
Why I, should I such sage depth dare, 
As his primordial ape would fare, 
Or missing link " — 



" You have me there," 
Cried George. " I once by Hugh's discourse 
Was swept so nigh to man's head source, 
On learning's scientific sea, 
Back to my monkey pedigree, 



88 RALPH AND ROSE ; 

That when he stopped, I did not fail 
To look behind to view my tail " 

IY. 

" Smother the rosy wag !" cried Blanche, 

" George,"if my eyes could lightning launch — 

Well, I would spare you, but not Hugh, 

If he should my Claude interview 

As he does me. It makes amends 

That Claude and Ralph are such staunch 

[friends. 
When we are married, Claude and I 
Shall for our faith's defense rely 
On Ralph and you, Rose. Heaven I sue 
That at one hour and altar too 
We wed — we four. This afternoon 
Hugh will be here. I shall go soon : 
He chills me'with his cold gray eye: 
But one more song, Rose; then, good bye." 



OR, FAITH'S DEFENSE. 89 

Song. 
Claude to Blanche. 

1. 

u ' Blanche ! beautiful Blanche ! a moment delay, 

Nor pass like a glorious vision away ; 

My heart is like ice and my brain is on fire, 

And my hate and my horror will madness inspire, 

Unless you remain, like an angel of peace, 

And cause my soul's tumult and anguish to cease ; 

For how can despair in the spirit find place 

That is cheered by the smile of your beautiful face ? 

2. 

" ' Blanche ! beautiful Blanche ! ah yet linger awhile ! 

I am better, much better, but lacking your smile, 

I fear a relapse; but I think that the cure 

Would be perfect indeed and forever endure, 

If your pure little hands you would but allow 

To rest for a spell on my feverish brow, 

And the light of your eyes to stream through my heart 

Till they force the last shade of its gloom to depart. 



90 RALPH AND B08E; 

3. 

" 'Blanche ! beautiful Blanche ! I have health once again, 
But I. doubt, if you go, that it long will remain: 
Many care not how seldom their doctor they see ; 
But mine I would have forever with me ; 
For I'm sure of good health and pure joy by your side; 
So you see, if you love me, you must be my bride.' 
Thus Claude urged his suit until 'Yes' she had said, 
And the beautiful doctor and patient were wed.-" 

The song's conclusion laughter greets, 
While Blanche in sport the singer beats, 
And cries "Ah, darling, arch and gay! 
How dare you make our hearts your play? 
But you shall meet your match. Beware! 
Goliath Science, Hugh St. Clair, 
Is coming, who will tax your wit." 

"For David's part I am not 'fit," 

Says Rose. " He's apt to fall who boasts : 

My trust is in the Lord of Hosts 

Who faith sincere ne'er yet forsook: 

I'll take my pebbles from the brook 

And trust my shepherd's sling will be 

A match for Gath's huge brazen panoply." 



OR, FAITH'S DEFENSE. 91 

y. 

" Rose, that is fine, but I must go." 

"And I," said George, "will be your beau." 

" No, George." 

" Yes, Blanche, for Claude shall see 
I do not lack his chivalry." 
"And if to seize you giant come, 
Ne'er fear," said Rose, "you have Tom 

Thumb." 

King of Frost. 
Into the whirling, freezing air, 
Still gazing after the vanished pair, 
Rose stood and murmured, " King of Frost, 
Grim father Winter, I am lost 
Like one storm beaten by thy blast, 
And on some desert's grandeur cast, 
In awe of voices from thy vast 
Of snow eternal, where alone, 
Viewless and changeless, stands thy throne, 
And thou, wrapped in thy icy robe, 
Sitst on the summit of the globe, 
And breath'st thy mystery to none, 
And bidst defiance to the sun. 



92 RALPH AND ROSE; 

Not that I hate or shun thee — no: 

E'en thy sharp cold and driving snow — 

Thy gales that shout like shrill far foe — 

Thy gelid plains o'er dark streams' flow, — 

I love, and demon-whistled glees 

Through branches bare or snow-bowed trees. 

Thy night-long, soaring, falling wail, — 

Thy spiteful, bitter, pelting hail, — 

And, after hours of gust and sleet, 

At morn, thy icy winding sheet, 

Dazzling as white in the slant sun's chill, 

Glassy, crisp, brittle, hard, harsh, — still 

I love, because thy hardships fill 

My soul with vigor, firm, calm, true, 

Lasting Spring, Summer, Autumn through, 

And leaving ever such reserve 

Of courage, coolness, strength and nerve, 

As fits me for the task imposed 

To guard the pearl God has inclosed 

Within my soul, his grace to me, — 

His faith, love, mercy, which are Heaven's 

[key." 



OR, FAITH'S DEFENSE. $3 

The Priest of Reason. 

VI. 

Sere as the genius of the season, 

With frozen beard and snowy hair, 
The prophet and the priest of reason 

Approached the cottage — Hugh St. Clair. 
Responsive to his gentle tappings, 

The hostess sprang, the door new wide, 
And he, stripped of his outer wrappings, 

Was seated at the bright tire side. 
After kind mutual enquiring, 

And small talk of the neighborhood, 
About the living and the dying, 

Which gratified Hugh's gossip mood, 
The rich old savant condescended 

To take with Rose a cup of tea, 
And with his formal speeches blended 

Much old time wit and pleasantry. 
With skill whose art defied detection, 

In hope to 'scape a long discourse 
On evolution and selection, 

Rose fain his merry vein would force, 
But on alluding to the Winter 

That ruled the land with icy rod, 



94 RALPH AND ROSE; 

She proved to him, alas ! the hinter 

Of earth's vast glacial period. 
Once on his darling hobby mounted, 

Back to the world nnstratified, 
Through ages ever more uncounted, 

On wings of thought and science hied 
The garrulous geologist, — 
Back to the sphere of fiery mist 
Of inorganic nebulae, — 
(As those in highest heaven may be, 
If not the clustering of the suns 
Which into one whole glory runs:) 
Whence starting with his molecules, 
Hugh builds rocks, water, air and mould, 
And earth, without. a God, behold, . r i 

VII. 

Eose smiles at this, but keener grows 

While he o'er facts of science throws 

Such graphic charm as makes them beam 

With life and self -creating seem : 

Starting at chaos, or its verge, 

Step linking step, until emerge 

The noblest types from sources crude, 



OM, FAITH'S DEFENSE. 95 

And God, the First Great Cause, exclude: 
Dazzling with rich and varied store 
Of Nature's wondrous, boundless lore — 
Whelming with marvel and surprise 
At processes, to make her eyes 
Heedful of nature's life alone 
And blind to God °s were his own, — 
He strives her sun of faith to cloud 
And wrap her in a skeptic's shroud, 
But through each law and trait and trace 
Of nature's process, pace by pace, 
Each old and new phenomenon, 
Brighter than it had ever shone, 
That sun, like God wrought miracle, 
Beams clear, pure, loving, beautiful, 
Or burns majestic, terrible, 
Revealing God's almighty hand 
From stellar spheres to grains of sand, 
Till confirmation overflows 
Of revelation's truth to Hose, 
Whose soul thus murmurs its delight 
To her own heart, — 

" This Gibeonite, 
Who digs so deep and toils so hard, 



96 RALPH AND ROSE; 

But serves the altar of the Lord 

Unwittingly. Can he exhume 

A truth which Faith will not illume 

And — though he aims that Faith to hit — 

Transform it into Holy Writ ? 

How vainly skeptic s nature libel ! 

The universe is God's vast Bible." 

YIII. 

Against false doctrines' serpent wreathing 
True faith is strong as Eve was weak ; 

And harmless proves Hugh's venom breathing 
To Rose's spirit pure and meek: 

For shielded by Christ's gospel charm 

Faith handles vipers free from harm. 

Poison with erudition blent, 

Rose turns to Gospel nutriment ; 

And in the earth Hugh stratifies, 

Faith's mirrored spirit world descries : 

For matter's changes all reflect 

The godlike march of intellect 

Since first earth's brooding Architect 

Was in the deep of chaos lapped, 

And first earth's granite bosom wrapped 



OR, FAITH'S DEFENSE. 97 

111 rocky robes, in which are furled 
Of wondrous shapes world over world, 
Which give us now Time's veil to lift 
And through those past creations drift 
Whose mounts of fire and earthquake births 
Make ours seem flames on cottage hearths ; 
Whose slime bred monsters brood on brood, . 
Till planets hid or blasted stood, — 
Till glared the sun through mists of blood, 
And, climbing high, the moon with dread 
Turned wdiite and ghastly as the dead. 

IX. 

Taney, forbear ! for there was nought 
Not in its due gradation wrought . 
Long ere rock, hill, wood, nook or den 
Had crudest human denizen, 
O'er horror order was maintained 
And through each new creation reigned. 
Still milder grew the earth in tone, 
Aspect and type and airy zone: 
Still progress led the eons' van 
To perfect earth for perfect man, 
Till out of lire, rocks, mist and ice 
Arose his balmy paradise. 



98 RALPH AND ROSE 



That earth's grand progress in creation, 

As Hugh each page of nature turned, 
But imaged man's regeneration, 

Rose with illumined eyes discerned. 
From self's heart granite Grace confronting- 

From sources that all evil breed, 
To heaven's portal, — there was wanting 

To Rose no symbol of her creed 
That as the earth was long progressing 

Till perfect man its Eden trod, 
The soul in grace is onward pressing 

Till it becomes the home of God. 

XI. 

Hugh labors hard to sap and mine 
And turn to laughter truth divine : 
Rose's compassion wakes for him 
Who with a vision near and dim, 
Can pore for flaws o'er God's great boon,. 
And rail as house dog bays the moon, 
At Sacred Scripture which to her 
And every other worshipper, 



OR, FAITH'S DEFENSE. 99 

Is that pure fount at which to slake 
The thirst for life is thus to wake 
To life of such God-beaming grade 
As makes the sun's wane into shade, 
And grants a comfort that outlives 
All health or wealth or honor gives. 
His work to do, so void of ruth, 
As friend sincere in zeal for truth, 
Was Hugh's profession and a sigh 
Ushered poor Rose's warm reply. 

XII 

" My friend ? A friend in heart would ne'er 
My happiness a shade impair, 
Or rob me of one solace dear 
That I can find this life to cheer. 
If you are then all you profess, 
What faith is to my happiness 
Hearken ! My faith is not so weak 
Kef uge from any truth to seek : 
Unmoved it meets all earthly shocks 
And though God's Word all paradox 
And fable you appear to prove ; 
Though all we see you analyze, 
And recreate the earth and skies 



100 RALPH AND ROSE; 

Of their constituent elements 
By methods nature's self invents, 

My faith in Him you could not move, 
Who in His fatherly cuntrol 
And sweet communion with my soul — 
His ceaseless providential care 
To save me from life's every snare, — 
The constant influence of his grace 

My soul from sin and pride to free, 
To make it his pure dwelling-place, 

And crown it with humility, 
Renders himself to me as nigh, 
As palpable, although so high, — 
By all my clearest thoughts reveal 
And all I most profoundly feel, 
As the firm earth beneath my tread, 
Or ever-burning suns o'er head ; 
But could you make experience seem 
And God himself a baseless dream, 
And revelation but a fraud 
By which the lay are over-awed, 
What should I owe you for your pains 
And what would be my spirit's gains ? 



OR, FAITH'S DEFENSE. 101 

XIII. 

" I must confess I ne'er could see 
Why man should spurn eternity, 
And an immortal soul disclaim, 
Its godlike source and hope and aim, 
And fondly hug his mouldering clay 
And life like insect of a day; 
For surely gifts that fleet so soon, 
Are more a mockery than boon, 
And were there save my. soul intense 
Of endless life no evidence, 

I could not doubt that deathless clime, 
So worthy of the reach and scope 
Of aspiration's prayer and hope, 

More than I could this wish sublime: 
But granting that the transient space 
In which we run our earthly race 
Is all we have, let us the span 
Fill with the highest joys we can; * 
And what is higher than the faith 
Which from our childhood td our death, 
Suffuses life with hues of heaven 

As sunlight earth with golden rain, 



102 RALPH AND ROSE; 

And mingles with our woes a leaven 

Whose hope turns all to joy again? 
The life of every day grow T s dull 

Held a drear pathway to the grave, 
But deemed a road to God, grows full 

Of cheer and welcome seraphs wave. 
Crowded with perils that appal, 

Life pales at death on every hand, 
Yet watched o'er by the Lord of All 

And guarded by his angel band, 
I rest serenely and secure 

As on Christ's loving breast asleep, 
And this sweet thought my spirit pure 

And grateful never fails to keep. 
When enemies and even friends 

On me revenge or malice wreak, 
What strength to bear and pardon lends 

The Sufferer Divine and Meek! 

XIV. 

"When flown are wealth and friends so fair, 
And want and care knock at the door, 

The thought that I am Heaven's heir 
Makes me content and rich once more. 



OR, FAITH'S DEFENSE. 103 

In sickness and in pain 1 pine. 

And hours that creep so slowly count, 
But as my mortal powers decline, 

Nearer to God I seem to mount. 
To health restored, thank Heaven ! my feet 

Wander the fields and woods of Spring, 
God's smile in every flower to greet, 

His voice in all birds that sing ; 
And every beauty of the scene 

All living in his love I view ; 
Prom the far mountain top serene 

To the near drop of sparkling dew: 
And though I doubt not science sees 

Far deeper than my sight can dart, 
It can from fragrance, light and breeze 

Ne'er drink faith's rapture of the heart. 

XV. 

""But it is not o'er life alone 

Faith breathes celestial rosy breath, 

Her softest, grandest charm is thrown 
O'er the sharp pangs and woes of death. 

In yonder graveyard the remains 
Of my dear parents now repose, 



104 RALPH AND HOSE; 

Where fall the Autumn's stormy rains 

And gather Winter's ice and snows : 
A dismal thought it were to think 

That all I loved in them is there ; 
That Virtue's self stands on the brink 

Of dark and nethermost despair. 
My father's grandeur I adored ; 

My mother's sweetness was as dear; 
My faith that both to Heaven soared, 
• Is firm as that their child stands here. 
Their joys dwarf mine as did their worth,. 

Yet I with mine am greatly blessed, — 
Health, affluence and love on earth, 

And hope of heaven's bliss and rest. 
I tell you, friend, when mother died 

Her smile was a celestial gleam : 
'The heavens open!' faint she cried, 

And though you slight all as a dream 
Which then and still my heart elates, 

Her look of bliss and peace profound, 
Told she had entered heaven's gates, 

And angels bright had gathered round. 
With tears that parting I recall ; 

My tears are my heart's luxury 



OR. FAITH'S DEFENSE. 105 

That only bliss can her befall 

Where her soul burns to welcome me. 

XVI. 

"To dwell on self I am to blame: 

I knew your son, a noble youth, 
With lightning rapture in his frame 

And, better far, a soul of truth. 
You lost him in his bloom of May — 

Tears ! I respect your manly grief , 
Yet tell me not he is but clay, 

And own it would be sweet relief 
To think, as I think, that your son 

Is no repast for worms but still 
A godlike soul ordained to run 

A race "Whose goals of glory thrill 
Immortals with a fire sublime 
Ever in life and love to higher climb." 

XVII. 

Rose paused. His hand in her small twain 
She took. He tears could not restrain. 
She said, " Forgive, if in my speech 
Your wounds of soul I dare to reach, 



106 RALPH AND ROSE; 

But tell me frankly as a friend 

Who would but for the truth contend, 

If I, — who am not fired as you 

To add to knowledge something new, — 

Such solace, joy and peace of mind 

In science as in faith can find. 

Do not deceive me ! By all dear 

To your heart's love, oh ! be sincere !" 

XYIIL 

"Deceive you? Never, gentle Hose! 
Nor would I shake your soul's repose: 
Your faith as life's best treasure shield ; 
For science can no comfort yield 
Like that you tell with so much heart 
Surpassing all the skill of art, 
And would my learning could supply 
A faith so happy, pure and high — 
So child-like—" 

"Ah, still there you hold 
Faith is too simple for the wise; 
That truth the Lord in prayer told 
In his communing with the skies. 



OR, FAITH'S DEFENSE. 107 

"From learning is salvation hidden: 

In faith the boast of pride is dumb, 
And only they by Christ are bidden 

Who can as little children come. 
Laden with erudition's mass, 

Harder who on that wealth rely 
It is through heaven's gate to pass 

Than camel through a needle's eye. 
Above the highest, grandest thought 

Which has in art or science birth, 
'The grace of God cannot be bought 

By all the wisdom of the earth: 
Distinct, complete and sole, — aloof, 

Averse from all material sense, — 
.Alike above disproof or proof, 

Itself alone its evidence, — 
'The gift of faith the Heaven's bestow, 

In all its attributes supreme, 
The only real thing I know, 

For all else sinks in Time's dark stream, 
Is all of God and God alone — 

The breath that breathes the soul new born; 
In source, in life, in proof his own : 

Just as the sun begets the morn 



108 RALPH AND ROSE; 

Without a lamp or torch's aid 

So rises faith upon the soul; 
And never yet has one essayed — 

Since circling earth began to roll 
Through ether with a human freight — 

The throne of Grace with humble prayer,. 
Childlike, sincere, importunate, 

For faith God's nearest angels share, 
Who has not light from God received, 

Clearer than cloudless sun looks down, — 
Who has not in his Word believed 

Freer from doubting' s chill or frown 
Than he on Sinai ablaze 

With God himself, or Christ's eleven 
When he ascended in their gaze 

To glory and his throne in heaven. 

XIX 

"The man in faith and love who walks 
Grows like an angel near the throne, 

For with his God he daily talks 

And thinks his thoughts and takes his tone 

His eyes are opened and his look 
Illumined pierces, nature through : 



OR, FAITH'S DEFENSE. 109 

Discrepancies that shade God's Book, 

The stumbling blocks in reason's view, 
Vanish, and radiantly nnfold 

The types and parables divine 
Christ, Moses and the prophets told, 

Which truth from touch profane enshrine,. 
As sword cherubic in the East 

Guarded life's life with girdling flame : 
But Faith enjoys the godlike feast 

To which e'en Eden's bliss were tame, 
For it is all the spirit's food, 

And for aught else blank is the Word, 
But Faith for every need and mood 

Finds it with endless riches stored : 
Yet over all ten thousand-fold, 

That privilege of Faith I prize, 
Communion with my God to hold 

Which would turn hell to paradise, 
Drawing me ever nearer Him, 

And making all mankind to me, 
Although their sins o'errun the brim, 

The children of God's family : 
And if we only loved as One 

Loved us and proved our love as strong, 



110 RALPH AND BOSE ; 

On this wide world we should leave none 
To pine in misery, want and wrong : 

*Such is the faith Christ would bestow, 
Founded in love to God and man, 

Which death can only brighter show 
The heaven its love on earth began. 

XX. 

'"You as a naturalist paint 

All- wise design in nature's realm ; 

I find in faith nor flaw nor taint 
With earth's Designer at the helm 

Of mind and matter's universe — 
Not in that wondrous article 
Of highest bliss conceivable 
With infinite, eternal stretches 
For earth's poor, sinful, contrite wretches 

You in annihilation hearse 

Or sink forever 'neath the sod. 

I clasp that Great Designer's pledge ! 

While you that Light of light immerse, 
That Life of life, that Soul of soul, 
And Love of love beneath the shoal 
Of science, clinging to the edge, 



OR, FAITH'S DEFENSE. Ill 

The cuticle of wisdom, we 

Feel its vast heart within us beat. 
This as the fittest work for God, 
His grandest, best, we view devout 
With pity for the thought of doubt, — 
God's image, man, and made to be 
Forever and divinely free, 
His soul in heaven or hell to steep t 
Yet wooed by Jesus from the deep 

Up, up to joy's eternal seat. 
The Great Designer cannot lie 

To his far noblest work, the soul — 
Or virtue's faith make false as high, 

And with the hope of heaven cajole, — 
Make Good itself a fatal cheat 
And spirit's purest war defeat ; 
No, no ! 
Life cannot Faitli forego, 
Which solves alone the mystery 
Of discords merged in harmony, 
And makes the universe complete 
In truth's and worth's eternity, 
Where wrongs they suffered raptures drown, 
And on creation set perfection's crown ?" 



112 RALPH AND ROSE; 

XXI. 

Rose ceased and then her blushes burned, 
To recollect how she had spurned, 
In long and torrent fluency, [free. 

All pause of thought and words her heart set 

XXII. 

" Is your oration at an end ? 
Demanded her white-headed friend. 
" Though my convictions are as rock 
They have sustained a greater shock 
From your unstudied simple speech 
Than from all tomes and pulpits teach, 
For in your melting tones and eyes 
There seems a message from the skies, 
Like that the dawn brings from the sun, 
Which entrance to my heart has won, 
For in your accents strangely rung 
The voice of Ned who died so young, 
My darling son, so true and brave, 
And not as rising from the grave, 
But in the tones with which the boy 
Oft sweetly summoned me to share his joy. 



OR, FAITH'S DEFENSE. 115 

XXIII. 

" Oh, what a vista opened straight 

Of light through heaven's fabled gate, 

And bliss on bliss in endless chain, 

With loved ones there embraced again! 

Heart whispered ' Yes, it must be so,' 

But Reason chilly answered 'No!' 

Yet why should I your faith dispute, 

With heart reluctant to confute? 

And I own now I cannot see 

A path so clear to victory : 

You have half w T on me. Heaven compels 

Belief while such an angel tells 

Its story. Sweetest Rose, adieu ! 

Were Christians all as good as you, 

The force no heathen could resist, 

No infidel or atheist, 

Of faith so hallowed with good deeds 

And love whose will to bless exceeds 

All human power, but w T orks forever 

With all the heart's and hands' endeavor* 

For while line precepts gain a score 

Noble example wins some millions more.' r 



114 RALPH AND ROSE ; 

XXIV. 

Farewell to him ! Farewell to Rose ! 

And it is not too much to hope 
That ere his earthly journey's close, 

His soul in darkness ceased to grope, 
And heard his Heavenly Father's call, 

Just as the child forbears to roam 
When night's dread shades begin to fall, 

And the heart throbs for love and home. 

XXY. 

True Faith such Philistines of science 

As Hugh, and e'en of greater might, 
May ever smiling bid defiance 

And put with shepherd's staff 'to flight; 
But deadlier foes are they who steal 

Or break into the fold of Christ — 
Foxes who rob with prayer and zeal, 

Or wolves whose ragings un sufficed 
With Christ's life blood shed on the cross, 

Which made atonement's work complete, 
Spurn his full sacrifice as dross, 



OR, FAITWB DEFENCE. 115 

And Hinnon's murders dare repeat 
As they grim Moloch would adore 
Whose altars ran with infant gore, 
And not the God who sweetly blessed 
The children nestling in his breast, — 
Whose blood all judgment's claims fulfilled 
That not a drop more might be spilled, 
Crowning all promise of the past — 
God's own blood sacrifice, the greatest, holi- 
est, last. 

XXVI. 

The curse of Faith and Liberty 
Is selfish, deep hypocrisy 
Or blind, besotted bigotry. 
Religion's cloak and Freedom's name 
Nor shield nor gild a deed of shame. 
No screen from God the guilty shrouds. 
Pray for Christ's coming, not in clouds, 
But in your heart. There let him sway, 
Not once a week, but every clay 
In every dealing ; and no freak 
Of wild fanatic, though lie reek 
With victims 1 gore, — no pious cheat, — 



116 RALPH AND BOSE. 

No wolf or fox with lamb-like bleat — 
No heresy within God's church, 

No learned skepticism without, — 
No scandal that the pure would smirch 

And clothe with shame the most devout, 
No Pharisee in ice and state, — 
No sanctimonious reprobate, — 
No spirit world and mediums' drill, 
Miraculous and puerile, 
Shall shake your faith, forever fed 
With God's own truth, your daily bread, 
Or you from those high duties swerve 
Which God and man and virtue serve 
In love and wisdom which display 
God to the soul, for God himself are they. 

The End. 



